With technology as prevalent as it is in today’s real estate industry, customer relationship management (CRM) and automated systems are now used to communicate with online leads more often than not. Yes, automated systems can be great for real estate follow-up because they can communicate with your leads sooner than you may be able to - but waiting too long to reach out to them yourself can negatively impact those potential opportunities.

If you use a real estate CRM or an automated system, it’s important to know when the best time is to step in and reach out to them yourself. Knowing when the best time to step in and speak with internet leads personally will help you convert more and get the best return on your investment.

Make sure to follow up with an internet lead when…

They’ve voluntarily provided a phone number

Of course, if an inbound lead provides a phone number, you should call them. Even if your marketing automation system responds to new leads within a certain amount of time, it’s important to reach out personally if they’ve voluntarily provided a valid phone number. Leads that provide more information than asked for, on a website for example, typically expect some sort of follow up sooner rather than later. These are hotter leads and should be treated as such.

They ask for you to reach out at a specific time

Yes, a bit obvious - but always important! If your automated system has incubated your lead and has provided them with quality email content, they are likely to ask for a call or request a showing at some point. Don’t miss this opportunity! Yes, schedules can be hectic, especially if you’re working with a large amount of leads at one time, but make sure to always follow up with a lead who’s asked for your personal time.

If you see increased lead activity

Often times internet leads do a lot of browsing online before they are ready to talk to a human. Technology has made it easier than ever to hide behind a computer and research before having to ask a professional for help. So, if a lead has been browsing for a while, but is now opening more emails, viewing more properties and displaying more overall activity - don't let your lead follow-up system send a non-distinct email again. Reach out to them personally to see if there is anything you can assist with specifically. Careful with your wording, however, as you want to offer professional assistance and not attempt to 'pitch' them too soon.

Making sure you follow up with the right content at the right time is crucial to succeeding in your online marketing efforts. Knowing about how internet leads typically think and optimizing your follow up will allow fewer leads to fall through the cracks and help you close more deals.